Photo above: Winehaven historic district buildings at Point Molate, Richmond, California, September 2008. Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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At Hilltop, the city’s big redevelopment plan is still a draft. The city is still writing the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan for about 143 acres around the former Hilltop Mall, and as of September 22, 2026 no adoption vote had reached the City Council. At Point Molate, the land once planned for housing now belongs to the East Bay Regional Park District, and the first thing being built is a 2.5-mile Bay Trail segment expected to open in 2027.
Here’s the record for each, from the city’s own documents, with dates.
What is the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan?
It’s the city’s rulebook for what can be built around the old mall. The plan area is about 143 acres south of Richmond Parkway, between San Pablo Avenue and Interstate 80, including the Hilltop Mall site and the land to its south and east (Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan project site, checked September 24, 2026).
The city’s stated goal is to move the area from a low-intensity, auto-oriented retail center to a higher-intensity, mixed-use destination (Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan project site, checked September 24, 2026).
How much housing could go at Hilltop?
The city hasn’t set a total. What it has shown is a draft land plan with density ranges by zone. From the land plan presentation the city posted for its April 30, 2025 advisory committee meeting:
| Draft zone | What it allows | Homes per acre | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid Density | Primarily housing, no commercial uses | 15 to 40 | up to 35 feet |
| Transitional | Primarily housing, limited commercial | 30 to 80 | 30 to 70 feet |
| High Density/Intensity | Commercial and employment, with high-density housing | 50 to 135 | 50 to 90 feet |
| Gateway | High-intensity urban mixed use, with entertainment | 80 to 200 | 70 to 135 feet |
The city’s summary of the September 16, 2025 council study session places the Gateway zone near Klose Way and Garrity Way (Hilltop Horizon project site).
These are draft numbers. They can change before any vote.
Where does the Hilltop plan stand today?
Still in draft. Here’s the timeline from the city’s records:
- December 5, 2023. City Council study session (Hilltop Horizon project site).
- April 30, 2025. Advisory Committee meeting #3 reviewed the draft land plan (Hilltop Horizon project site).
- August 21, 2025. Planning Commission study session on the draft land plan (Hilltop Horizon project site).
- September 16, 2025. City Council study session on the draft land plan (Hilltop Horizon project site). The city’s April 2025 presentation had set a target of adopting the plan in 2026.
- Through September 22, 2026. We found no Hilltop Horizon item on any City Council agenda posted on the city’s eScribe meeting portal (checked September 24, 2026). The project site still lists September 16, 2025 as its latest event.
Nobody can say for sure when a vote happens or what the final plan will allow. Watch hilltophorizon.com and the council agendas.
Is there anything I should know about taxes near Hilltop?
Some parcels in the Hilltop area pay into the Hilltop Landscape Maintenance District. The council held its yearly public hearing on the district’s 2026-27 assessments on June 23, 2026 (City of Richmond, City Council agenda, June 23, 2026). Whether a specific home pays it shows on its property tax bill. Ask for the current bill, and talk to a tax professional or the Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector about what it means for you.
What happened with housing at Point Molate?
It isn’t happening on the land that was set aside for it. The city’s Point Molate Development page describes an earlier plan for 670 homes with at least 70% of the 270 acres kept as open space (City of Richmond, Point Molate Development page, checked September 24, 2026). That plan, and the private development approvals that followed it, did not go forward.
On July 12, 2024, the City Council took up a letter of intent for the East Bay Regional Park District to buy the 81.56-acre developable property at Point Molate (City of Richmond, special City Council agenda, July 12, 2024).
Who owns Point Molate now, and what is being built?
The park district owns the land that had been set aside for development, and the city still owns Point Molate Beach Park. The park district announced on August 26, 2025 that it bought 82 acres at Point Molate for $40 million, with $36 million from the state, administered by the California State Coastal Conservancy (East Bay Regional Park District news release, August 26, 2025).
The first project is a 2.5-mile Bay Trail segment from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge path to Point Molate Beach Park, continuing past the Winehaven Historic District. Half of it, 1.25 miles, runs on city land (East Bay Regional Park District, Point Molate Bay Trail news page, checked September 24, 2026). The park district says it is under construction and expected to open to the public in 2027. Its own timeline shows 2025 to 2027 for the trail and site safety work, then 2027 to 2035 for shoreline access, programs, planning and fundraising (East Bay Regional Park District, Future Point Molate Park page, checked September 24, 2026).
On September 16, 2025, the council agenda included a 25-year license agreement with the park district for the trail (City of Richmond, City Council agenda, September 16, 2025).
Is anything still unsettled at Point Molate?
Yes. A lawsuit with the former developer is still open. On May 19, 2026, the council agenda included a fourth amendment to the city’s outside legal contract for the Winehaven Legacy litigation, extending it through December 31, 2027 (City of Richmond, City Council agenda, May 19, 2026). On May 26, 2026, the agenda included more structural consulting work on buildings at Winehaven and Shipyard No. 3, also extended through December 31, 2027 (City of Richmond, City Council agenda, May 26, 2026).
For the legal details, read the city’s records or ask an attorney. We report what’s on the public record.
What do these projects mean for home prices nearby?
We don’t know, and we won’t guess. The Hilltop plan isn’t adopted, and the Point Molate park will take years to build out. What you can do is check what’s actually approved near a specific address and price the home off recent sales, not off a plan.
Questions people also ask
What is happening to Hilltop Mall?
The Hilltop Horizon plan has not been adopted, so it has not approved any demolition or new buildings. The City of Richmond is still drafting the specific plan for about 143 acres around the former mall. The city’s April 2025 presentation targeted adoption in 2026, but no Hilltop Horizon item had appeared on a City Council agenda through September 22, 2026.
How many homes will be built at Hilltop in Richmond?
The city has not set a final number. Its draft land plan, presented April 30, 2025, shows ranges by zone, from 15 to 40 homes per acre in a Mid Density zone up to 80 to 200 per acre in a Gateway zone near Klose Way and Garrity Way. The ranges are draft and can change before the council votes.
Will there be housing at Point Molate?
Not on the 81.56-acre development property. The earlier development approvals did not go forward, and the East Bay Regional Park District announced on August 26, 2025 that it bought 82 acres there for $40 million for a future regional park. A lawsuit with the former developer remains open, per 2026 council agendas.
When will the Point Molate trail open?
The East Bay Regional Park District says the 2.5-mile Bay Trail segment from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to Point Molate Beach Park is under construction and expected to open to the public in 2027, per its Future Point Molate Park page checked September 24, 2026. Other park facilities will take years to plan and fund.
Your next step
Looking at a home near Hilltop or on the Point Richmond side? Send us the address. We’ll pull what’s actually approved nearby, the tax bill details and recent sales. Talk to a Richmond agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More on Richmond: Living in Richmond, CA · What to do in Richmond · Richmond housing forecast · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Richmond, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- City of Richmond, Hilltop Horizon Land Plan presentation, Advisory Committee meeting #3, April 30, 2025: hilltophorizon.com (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Richmond, City Council agenda, September 16, 2025 (Point Molate Bay Trail license agreement): pub-richmond.escribemeetings.com
- City of Richmond, special City Council agenda, July 12, 2024, item L.1, “Disposition of 81.56 acre Developable Property at former Point Molate Naval Facility by Letter of Intent”: pub-richmond.escribemeetings.com (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Richmond, City Council agendas, May 19, May 26 and June 23, 2026, and all regular and special meeting agendas September 2025 through September 22, 2026: pub-richmond.escribemeetings.com (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Richmond, Point Molate Development: ci.richmond.ca.us/2302/Point-Molate-Development (checked September 24, 2026)
- Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan project site: hilltophorizon.com (checked September 24, 2026)
- East Bay Regional Park District, “Park District Acquires Point Molate Property in Richmond for Future Regional Park,” August 26, 2025, Point Molate Bay Trail news page, and Future Point Molate Park project page: ebparks.org (checked September 24, 2026)